Baked Scotch Eggs with Potato

Are Scotch Eggs Really Scottish?

Honestly, it’s one of those recipes that are shrouded in deep mystery and controversy when it comes to determining it’s origin. There are a dozen different theories – some say that the idea of encasing a pre-cooked egg in meat came from North Africa, not Scotland. The method gradually travelled to Britain via France.

While another food historian makes the connection of the recipe to a Mughlai Curry from the Indian subcontinent, called Nargisi Koftays it bears a close similarity to the Indian dish. Nargisi Koftay consist of hard-boiled eggs coated with cooked spiced minced meat, fried and then cut into half and served in a tomato and onion based curry.

Then some place them in Yorkshire where they were initially coated with a creamy fish paste instead of sausage meat. Others claim their birthplace is a department store in London who made this snack which was later on nicknamed after the officers of the Scots guard who were very fond of the snack. And I’m sure there are a hundred more stories!

My Mom’s Vegetarian Scotch Eggs

These potato scotch eggs are my mother’s recipe. I used to ask her to make these for my birthdays. She deep fried them, but you can also make baked scotch eggs with the same recipe.

Potatoes and eggs are two of my most favourite ingredients to work with in the kitchen. Also, they are two of the most versatile ingredients ever. What can really go wrong when you are putting these two together?

I continue to make this yummy snack for my not-meat-loving girls. I’ve added a little bit to my mother’s recipe by combining scotch eggs and devilled eggs ideas. The yolks in my recipe are mixed with butter, mustard, black pepper and herbs to make the whole thing more flavoursome and creamier in texture.

Enjoy these potato scotch eggs as a snack, a starter, or side dish.

Once the eggs are hard boiled, wrap them up in the potato mix, so that they become bigger eggs. Make sure the potato coating is even and smooth, and hugs the eggs tightly.

Roll each egg in corn flour, then dip in the beaten egg and then roll in breadcrumbs so that the eggs are completely covered with crumbs on all sides.

Method 1: Deep Frying the Eggs

Heat oil in a wok for deep frying. Make sure the oil is hot enough before you slip in the eggs (test by dropping in a few breadcrumbs, they should immediately rise to the surface and turn brown).

Fry the eggs till the coating turns golden brown, scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain excess oil on paper towel.

Method 2: Baking the Eggs

You can bake these potato scotch eggs as I did, to cut down the calories.

Heat oven at 175 degrees C. Prepare the eggs as before, just place them in a lightly greased oven proof dish.

Bake for 30 minutes, occasionally turning the sides till they are golden brown on all around.
Wait a few minutes before you cut them.

Now comes my little twist to the traditional scotch eggs:

Cut a scotch egg into two halves, scoop out the yolks with a teaspoon. Mix the yolks with butter, mustard, chopped spring onions and peppers. Spoon them back in potato scotch eggs.

Enjoy more flavoursome scotch eggs!